News / Africa
Suspect found hanging in a cell
06 Apr 2016 at 15:04hrs | Views
A 43-year-old man from Mahalapye was found hanging in a cell at the Urban Police station last week Wednesday.
Mmegi reported that the man was a suspect in a Yaris car theft at the time of detention.
The station commander at Urban Police station, Obapotswe Moremi confirmed the incident. He said the suspect was found hanging from the rafters of the police holding cell.
"The man from Mahalapye was brought to us by the Serious Crimes Squad. He was a suspect in a case of car theft," said Moremi.
"The police officers discovered him dead around 6.45am during the routine early morning police handover sessions.
What happens is every morning the overnight officers handover to the incoming officers for that morning. This is when they discovered that he had hanged himself," the Urban police station boss explained.
The station commander confirmed that the man was taken away from the regular police cell to a solitary holding cell after the police realised that he had managed to sneak into the holding cell with a cellphone. "The police were notified that he had a cellphone in the holding cell. He hid the cellphone after handing over another phone. The police through its intelligence managed to pick that he was communicating with the outside world," the station commander said. He denied that they had tortured the deceased.
But the deceased's cellmate at the time said the police tortured the deceased after realising he had a phone with him in the cell. He alleged: "The deceased told me
that he was arrested by the Serious Crime Division around Game City. He told me that they had informed him that they suspected that the car he was driving was stolen."
The source continued: "He then told me that the police then discovered that it was not the car they were looking for, but discovered from the papers he produced that the car was stolen in South Africa."
"He told me that that's when they decided to detain him overnight, while they investigated who the car belonged to.
He managed to sneak in the phone and I saw him messaging people. He was then taken away by officers and they beat him to a pulp," said the deceased's cellmate.
The distraught family of the deceased is suspecting foul play. The deceased's brother Roger Gaolatlhe explained that they are not happy with the way the police have been handling the matter so far.
"We are not happy with their investigations. How could he hang himself using a blanket? The window is far from the ground, we want to know how he was able to get up there," said Gaolatlhe.
"We gather that the Serious Crime Squad came back for him that night, they said that he had a cellphone with him. I believe the torture started there."
Mmegi reported that the man was a suspect in a Yaris car theft at the time of detention.
The station commander at Urban Police station, Obapotswe Moremi confirmed the incident. He said the suspect was found hanging from the rafters of the police holding cell.
"The man from Mahalapye was brought to us by the Serious Crimes Squad. He was a suspect in a case of car theft," said Moremi.
"The police officers discovered him dead around 6.45am during the routine early morning police handover sessions.
What happens is every morning the overnight officers handover to the incoming officers for that morning. This is when they discovered that he had hanged himself," the Urban police station boss explained.
The station commander confirmed that the man was taken away from the regular police cell to a solitary holding cell after the police realised that he had managed to sneak into the holding cell with a cellphone. "The police were notified that he had a cellphone in the holding cell. He hid the cellphone after handing over another phone. The police through its intelligence managed to pick that he was communicating with the outside world," the station commander said. He denied that they had tortured the deceased.
But the deceased's cellmate at the time said the police tortured the deceased after realising he had a phone with him in the cell. He alleged: "The deceased told me
that he was arrested by the Serious Crime Division around Game City. He told me that they had informed him that they suspected that the car he was driving was stolen."
The source continued: "He then told me that the police then discovered that it was not the car they were looking for, but discovered from the papers he produced that the car was stolen in South Africa."
"He told me that that's when they decided to detain him overnight, while they investigated who the car belonged to.
He managed to sneak in the phone and I saw him messaging people. He was then taken away by officers and they beat him to a pulp," said the deceased's cellmate.
The distraught family of the deceased is suspecting foul play. The deceased's brother Roger Gaolatlhe explained that they are not happy with the way the police have been handling the matter so far.
"We are not happy with their investigations. How could he hang himself using a blanket? The window is far from the ground, we want to know how he was able to get up there," said Gaolatlhe.
"We gather that the Serious Crime Squad came back for him that night, they said that he had a cellphone with him. I believe the torture started there."
Source - Mmegi
